In wrestling, Danielson was a world champion, having won the ROH World Championship in Ring of Honor (ROH) once.[7] Also, Danielson has won the PWG World Championship in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) twice,[8][9] the FIP Heavyweight Championship once in Full Impact Pro, the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship once in Pro Wrestling Noah and was the last ROH Pure Champion, as he combined the Pure title with the ROH World Title in 2006.[10] He also won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in New Japan Pro Wrestling with Curry Man.[1] He is three-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion , one-time World Heavyweight Champion. On March 29, 2015, he became the intercontinental champion.

Until 2009, Danielson only wrestled on the indy scene. ROH was his home promotion, but he also worked in FIP, PWG, and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He has also worked worldwide, most notably in Pro Wrestling Noah through ROH's involvement in the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance, a global team of wrestling promotions that allow their competitors to travel abroad to other companies.[11] He also competed in a some matches in WWE before signing an actual contract with the company in 2009.[2][12] In June 2010, shortly after the end of the first season of the WWE NXT show which Danielson was in, WWE announced that he had been released from his contract.[13] But, at SummerSlam, he returned.[14]